Wire straightener



1950 R. D. HELLER 2,517,309

WIRE smxcmmaa Filed May 16, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 1 RICHARD D. HELLER (Iltor'negs 3nventor Aug. 1, 1950 R. D. HELLER WIRE STRAIGHTENER Filed May16, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Immntor attorneys VFI" RICHARD D. HELLER h v\M W Q0 mw/// 0 a a R Aug. 1, 1950 R. D. HELLER WIRE STRAIGHTENER 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 16, 1947 Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The present invention concerns a wire straightener of somewhat the samenature as the subject matter of my prior and copending application,Serial No, 695,497, filed September 7, 1946, and is intended for asimilar purpose. Whereas that application was concerned primarily withthe straightening of wires of high carbon or stainless steel, of hightensile strength and of larger gauge or diameter, by gentle, cumulativedeflections away from and back to the strands path, with an interveningabrupt reverse deflection, and was not so much concerned with softerwires, nor with hard wires of smaller size, the present invention isprimarily, but not exclusively, concerned with the straightening ofwires of softer material, and can accomplish the strai h en ng by morefrequent and more abrupt deflections without injury to such wire. Whileon the point, however, it should be made clear that though the desire toachieve the end indicated led to the present invention, neverthelessthis invention is also well adapted to the straightening of hard wiresof the larger diameters, say from .033" upward, and it is particularlywell adapted to the straightening of wires in sizesranging downward fromthat diameter,whether of hard material and high tensile strength, or ofsofter material and lower tensile strength. Accordingly, the presentinvention differs somewhat from the invention of somewhat restrictedusefulness of my application Serial No. 695,497 in that the presentinvention is of substantially universal application to all sizes and allhardnesses of wire and is, therefore, particularly well adapted to thestraightening of soft wire in all sizes.

From the above may be ascertained one of the objects of the presentinvention, namely, the provision of a machine of substantially universalapplication in thestraightening of wire, and one which is capable ofsuch flexibility and range of adjustment as will adapt it for use uponwires of various hardness and of various size, without danger of undueweakening of or injury to the wire, particularly in the larger sizes andgreater hardness.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a wire straightenerwhich is so flexibly adjustable that it satisfactorily removessubstantially all types of curvature likely to be encountered inunreeling wire strands, and precisely straightens the wire, yet with aminimum of mechanism, and with a minimum of bending and counterbendingof the wire, such as may adversely aifect the strength or hardness ofthe strand.

The present invention attacks a problem not discussed in my priorapplication, namely, the removal of the helical set which sometimes ispresent in coiled wire in addition to the normal coil set, the removalof the latter being the sole object of most wire straighteners. Thisproblem of helical set is encountered principally in dealing with softwires. Wires, when reeled or coiled, are ordinarily annealed slightly inorder to retain them in coil form, that is, to give them the coil set,so that they will not tend unduly to unwind or straighten out whenrestraint is removed from them. Occasionally the wire is so coiled thatwhen annealed it acquires a helical set, in addition to the coil set,this helical set tending to expand the coil in the direction of itsaxis. Unless this helical set is neutralized, the wire is not straight,however much its coil set may be neutralized, and this at times becomestroublesome in the subsequent use of the wire. Unless the wire is bentso repeatedly and rapidly as to anneal it and thereby overcome allpossible bending, with resultant weakening, or alternatively is bentspecifically in opposition to its coil set, the latter will not beovercome. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide awire straightener which, as a matter of routine, will neutralize thishelical set, but which, if the wire being uncoiled does not possess ahelical set, will not materially afiect the nature and strength of thewire, nor its ultimate straightness.

It is a still further object to provide a wire straightener of minimumlength and requiring a minimum of power to advance the strand throughit. To such ends the straightener of this invention is one in whichthere is primarily (though not necessarily in the sequence of theiroperations upon the strand) a bank of straightening wire guides orrollers to neutralize the helical set, a similar bank somewhatdifferently adjusted and arranged to neutralize the coil set, and afinal bank adjustable preferably through 360 about the axis of thestrand, arranged in such manner as precisely to neutralize any residualcurvature which the strand may have as it emerges from the last of thefirst two banks.

It is also an object of this invention to effect the straightening of awire strand with a small number of rollers or wire guides, and inparticular to effect the flexing or bending of the wire to such extentas may be necessary by passing it in a novel manner and according to anovel method between two paired rollers, and by so doing, instead ofemploying three or a larger number of rollers, to minimize and controlwith accuracy the flexure which otherwise tends unduly to weaken thewire, particularly in the case of wire of hard steel or similarmaterial. Otherwise stated, it is desirable to effect straightening inany given plane primarily, and perhaps solely, by the use of two rollersabout which the strand passes, these rollers being arranged, relativelyto one another and to preceding and following guide rollers or otherforms of guide, that the strand is deflected from its normal path by,and is bent sharply about, only one of these two rollers, and the secondsuch roller merely holds the strand to and bends it about the firstroller, and itself lies in such relation to the strand's path that itwill not deflect nor counterbend the strand materially. The provision ofthe above, which is believed to be novel in principle, is an importantobject oi this invention.

.Also, by lessening the number of bends and counterbends necessary toeffect the desired straightening, rotation of the strand about its ownaxis, during straightening, is prevented, and thereby become attainablefurther objects, namely, more exact control of the plane ofstraightening as related to the plane of any set in the wire, andprecision correction for any residual set, in any plane rotated 360about the strands axis, after normal corrective measures in twogenerally perpendicular planes to remove or neutralize helical set andcoil set.

The provision of a wire straightener to the ends indicated which isrugged, reliable, easily threaded, and accurately returnable to anygiven adjustment, and capable of long and accurate use, is a furtherobject of the invention.

Other objects, and particularly those which pertain to the mechanicaldetails and arrangement of the various parts, will be understood as thisspecification progresses.

The present invention comprises the novel wire straightener apparatus,and the novel method of straightening wires, which is shown in theaccompanying drawings, which will be more fully described in thisspecification, and which is defined in the claims which terminate thisspecification.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown embodied inmechanical forms such as are well calculated to achieve the endsindicated, but it will be remembered that the principles of theinvention, as defined in the claims, may be embodied in other and variedforms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the first two banks and a portion ofthe final bank, showing parts in operative relationship to a wire strandwhich is being straightened.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same machine similarly set up.

Figure 3 is a side elevation partly broken away of one such bank,somewhat enlarged.

Figure 4 is a detail section taken substantially along the line 4-4 ofFigure 3, illustrating the manner in which the paired rolls cooperate ingripping a wire strand.

Figure 5 is a transverse section substantially along the line 5-5 ofFigure 2, illustrating the third or final straightening bank.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a slightly modifiedarrangement for adjustment, and Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional viewsubstantially along the line '|l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an isometric diagram showing the manner of arrangement ofthe banks for removing the sets of curvature from a coil which has itsgeneral plane horizontal while being uncoiled, as

from a swift, and Figure 9 is a similar isometric diagram showing thepreferred manner of arrangement of the banks when the coil is uncoiledwhile its general plane is vertical, as from a reel.

When a wire has a helical set, the coils tend to extend along the axisof the coil, as is suggested in Figures 8 and 9. This is due to a veryslight curvature transverse to the coil set, but unless this helical setis eliminated, that is to say, if the straightening operation concernsitself only with the coil set, the helical set, not being necessarilyneutralized, will still tend to remain in the strand and will betroublesome when the wire is put into use. Since the preferred principleof straightening a wire strand, particularly in soft or low carbonsteel, is to bend the wire directly oppositely to its set to remove thesame, rather than to knead or flex it indiscriminately, it is desirableand important that this helical set be attacked directly rather thanobliquely or indirectly. Accordingly, in the present mechanism andmethod, a bank of rollers is provided which will efiect a straighteningoperation in the plane wherein lies the helical set, that is,transversely of the general plane of the coil. Similarly, since the coilset should be directly attacked by counterbending directly oppositely tothe coil set, a second bank of straightening rollers is provided, whichoperates in the general plane of the coil to neutralize the coil set.

It is desirable, particularly with hard or highcarbon steel wire, thatcounterbending be kept to a minimum, both in abruptness and in number ofcounterbends, for such bending, particularly if repeated in rapidsuccession, tends to lessen the wires tensile strength unduly. It isalso desirable to maintain the length of the wire straightener as shortas possible, for each bend and counterbend may rotate the strand aboutits own axis, until the straightening operations produce actually acorkscrew effect. In order to accomplish both these ends, suchcounterbending as is accomplished is done with the least abruptnessconsistent with the desired results, and only a few times, preferablynot more than twice in each bank. The abruptness of the counterbendingto counteract the helical set need be but very slight, and yet howeverslight it may be, ii it is accurately oriented, it is almost certainthat it will be amply suflicient to overcome the very minute curvaturewhich gives rise to the helical set of the coil. Accordingly, suchcounterbending as is accomplished for the purpose of counteractinghelical set, though small in amount, and repeated but once, andtherefore but little likely to weaken the wire, is considered to beample to overcome any probable helical set, and is preferably employedwhether or not the wire has a helical set. It does not materially afiectthe strength of the wire, nor tend materially to rotate the strand aboutits own axis, and yet the minimum of counterbending is suflicient toneurtralize helical set and to leave the strand straight when thecounterbending is substantially equal at the two points where it occurs,Residual components of the helical set need not be taken intoconsideration after such overriding counterbending at the two pointsinvolved.

In the counterbending to overcome the coil set, however, the bendingreversely to the coil set v is almost necessarily greater than anyreversal of that counterbend back to straightness, and the bank whichaccomplishes the neutralization of the coil set has its parts soarranged, preferably again at not more than two points, to accomplish agreater degree of bending counter to the coil set, and then a minimum orlesser amount of reverse bending, calculated in amount with relation tothe degree of initial counterbend as to leave the strand preciselystraight. Furthermore, since it is desirable that the two banks alreadyreferred to be substantially identical in mechan ical construction, itwill be recognized that each must be flexibly adjustable in order thatany one of them may accomplish the varying degrees of bending requiredby these somewhat variant ends.

Since it would scarcely be possible under all circumstances, and withall sizes and types of wire, to accomplish precisely the right amount ofbending in precisely the correct planes to remove all curvature from thewire in the two banks, having desirably a total of not more than fouroperative points of bending, yet since it is desirable that the lengthof the wire straightener be kept to a minimum, it is preferable toemploy a third or final bank adjustable about the strand as an axis,which will engage the strand after its passage through the first twobanks, in such manner as to remove any residual bend, in whatever planesuch residual bend may lie.

It is not material to the operations already discussed whether thecounteracting of the helical set, if any, or the counteracting of thecoil set, occurs first. Either may be accomplished first, and hence itis largely a, matter of choice and convenience that in the invention asherein shown and described the neutralization of the helical set isfirst accomplished, followed by the neutralization of the coil set.

The general principles of the invention just described will be moreclearly understandable after studying the description of the mechanism,which follows.

For convenience and rigidity the entire device may be mounted upon abase D whereon are secured the standards 9 and Gil of each of the banks.The several banks are designated generally by the letters A, B, and C.Each bank includes a bracket t of generally U-shape, the ends til, at orM whereof lie adjacent and between the standards ii and 9d of the bank,and these brackets are provided with bushings Mi, received in slots M inthe upper edges of the respective standards, whereby each bracket mayrotate about its bushings M as a center. All these bushings are alignedthroughout the machine, and the wire strand W extends through them todefine the general axis of the machine. The only difference between thestandards 9 and 90 is that the standards 9 are provided with one or morethreaded apertures 92 for the reception of an adjusting bolt 85 or thelike, whereby the brackets it may be secured in several angularlyrotated positions about the axis defined by the wire strand W. Normallythe brackets of the banks A and B are adjustable only by 90 intervalsand are maintained each relative to the other at angles of 90. Thebracket of the bank C, however, should be adjustable by small angularincrements throughout the entire range of 360, wherefore its end flange82 is provided with a plurality of holes 84 for the reception of itsbolt W.

Carried upon the brackets 8 of each of the banks A and B is a lever 5,somewhat Z-shaped in elevation, and which, while formed of two separatedparts so that it may straddle the brackets 8, is in effect but a singlelever. This lever is fulcrumed between its ends, as indicated strand, inthe case of the bank A in Figure 1, and

its other and lies below the strand. This lever, thus fulcrumed, may betilted by such means as the adjusting screw 5! threaded within a nut 52(see Figure 3). which is oscillatably mounted in the lever 5, the end ofthe nut being swiveled in a transverse post 53 which is oscillatable inthe bracket 8. A look nut 54 serves to retain parts in any givenposition of adjustment.

The wire strand guides are preferably in the form of rollers of suchdiameter, particularly with respect to the size of wire beingstraightened, as will aiford a bend of abruptness which is the minimumnecessary in order to achieve the required bending of the wire, havingregard to the latters diameter and hardness. They are arranged in partupon the bracket 8 and in part upon the lever 5. A roll 3, mounted uponthe bracket 8, is first encountered by the strand, this preferably beinga deeply grooved roller the function of which is primarily and almostsolely as a guide to retain the strand in alignment with the followingrollers. The strand next encounters a roller I which is mounted upon anend of the lever 5, and then a roller 2 which is mounted upon thebracket 8. These two rollers l and 2 constitute a pair, and are shallowgrooved and so close together that they nearly touch one another, buttend to grip the strand between them, and to force it to follow aboutthe grooves peripheries. Ordinarily the rollers i and 2 would be soarranged relative to one another, by certain adjustments alreadymentioned or hereafter to be mentioned, that the roller I extends acrossthe path of the strand to deflect it, while, the function of the pairedroller 2 is primarily to hold the strand closely to the deflectingroller l, and to deflect it to the minimum in the opposite direction.The strand then encounters a bracket-mounted roller 20 similar to theroller 2, and a lever-mounted roller Ill paired with the roller 20, andwhich corresponds generally to the roller l. The final roller in thebank is the guide roller 30, deep-grooved and corresponding generally tothe roller 3. It insures that the strand on leaving the bank is disposedgenerally in the rotative axis of the brackets.

With respect to the rollers I and 2 the roller 20 constitutes a strandguide, widely spaced from the paired rollers, and especially from theholding roller 2. Conversely, with respect to the rollers 20 and In theroller 2 constitutes a strand guide, widely spaced from the pairedrollers 2t and It. The rollers 3 and 20 may be considered widely spacedstrand guides, intermediate which are located the paired bending rollersl and 2, which are close to one another. The normal path of the strandwould be from roller 3 to roller 20, but the roller l deflects thestrand more or less abruptly from that path (depending upon thetransverse adjustment of the roller ll) while the roller 2 holds thestrand to the roller I, about an appreciable angular extent, sufiicientto give the desired bend to the wire, counter to any set it may have.The strand then leaves the roller 2, about which it extends a lesserangular distance than about the roller l--for the roller 2 lies in orclose to the undefiected strand pathand hence which has little tendencyto counteract the bend given by the roller I. This is a new departure inwire straighteners, wherein heretofore the deflecting roller was midwaybetween and spaced from two other rollers, the latter of which so nearlycounteracted the bend of the bending roller" that repeated furtherbending, to a progressively lesser degree, was required to effect thedesired result, and the wire's strength sufl'ered by such rapidlyrepeated abrupt reversals, and the strand tended thereby to rotate aboutits own axis. My copending application, Serial No. 668,789, filed May10, 1946, and issued February 22, 1949 as Patent No. 2,462,396 is anexample of the type just referred to. By effecting a single bend, withminimum following counter-bending, the wire's strength is preserved, andaccuracy of the plane of bending is maintained. This result follows fromthe use of only two paired rollers, one holding the strand wrapped aboutthe other, disposed intermediate widely spaced strand guides.

The banks A and B are alike in mechanical construction, but differsomewhat in the relative adjustment of the parts. The bank C, however,is preferably substantially identical in construction to the individualbanks disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 695,497, referredto above. This final bank C includes preferably a large guide roller 45,a smaller roller 46 both mounted upon the brackets 8, a bending roller 4adjustably mounted with respect to the rollers 45 and 46 by reason ofits mounting upon a lever 48 adjustable by means such as are asindicated at 4! about the pivot 42, or adjustable to the same end by anyother suitable means. The set of five rollers in the final bank C iscompleted by duplicates of the rollers 46 and 45 already mentioned, asis more fully shown in the copending application referred to.

It will be noted that in addition to the tilting adjustment of the lever5 about its fulcrum at 58, accomplished by means of the adjusting screw5|, the fulcrum 50 is in efiect shiftable with respect to the lever,through actually the lever is shiftable with respect to the fulcrum. Tothis end the lever is provided with a more or less transversely disposedslot 55, wherein is received the fulcrum bolt 59 and its surroundingsleeve 56, and the shifting of the lever 5 is accomplished by means ofthe opposed adjusting screws 51.

In addition to these adjustments a further ad- Justment is provided,lengthwise the strands path, for the rollers 2 and 20. The bolt 2|whereon each is journaled is received within a slot 88 which extendslengthwise of the bracket 8, parallel to the strand's path, where it ismaintained in any given adjusted position lengthwise of the slot by theclamping nut 22 reacting between the rear side of the bracket 8 and ashoulder 23 on the bolt 2| through the spacer 24 (see Figure 4).

It is the intention that the rollers I and 2, i and 20, be readilyremovable and replaceable by rollers having varying depths of groovesand possibly having difierent relative diameters in order difierentl toaffect wires of different size, and requiring different degrees ofabruptness of bending. The slot 88 would be particularly advantageous inadjusting the paired rollers l and 2, l8 and 20, respectively, whenrollers of different dameter are substituted for those already in placeHowever, normally the adjustment by means of the slot 88 is for thepurpose of accommodating the position of the roller 2 or 20 with respectto the respectively paired rollers I or iii, in such position ofadjustment of the levermounted rollers I and ID as is accomplished byrocking of the lever about its fulcrum 5D. The object in each case is tocause the paired rollers i and 2 or In and 20 to approach one another soclosely that the wire strand has just room to pass between them, and toaccomplish, as it is passing about them, a bending of the strand aboutone or the other or both such rollers of apair.

It is evident that by the adjustment of the fulcrum 50 with respect tothe lever 5, or vice versa, it is possible to cause one of thelever-mounted rollers, for instance the roller I, to project fartherthan the other lever-mounted roller it) beyond the normal axis of thestrand, that is, to cause the strand a greater deflection than is causedas it passes over the other such roller l0. Such an uneven adjustment isshown in dot-dash lines in Figure 3, and this may be caused byadjustment of the screws 51 to shift the lever 5, as it were, upwardly,as viewed in that figure, with respect to its fulcrum 50. When any suchadjustment has been made, corresponding lengthwise adjustment of thepaired bracket-mounted rollers is necessary in order to preserve thenearlycontacting relationship between the paired rollers I and 2 or illand 20. Moreover, when such tilting adjustment is made, by means of thadjusting screw 5|, such tilting causes adjustment of the twolever-mounted rollers by corresponding ratios, to maintain their ratioof deflection, though the degree of deflection of each thereof maychange.

In similar fashion to the adjustment of the rollers in the banks A andB, the bending roller 4 in the bank C may be adjusted by rocking thelever 40 about its fulcrum 42 by means of the adjusting screw 4|, in themanner and to substantially the same end as is explained in thecopending application Serial No. 695,497.

Before proceeding to the description of the method and the manner cfoperation of the mechanism, it may be pointed out that a stop or gaugemeans is shown in connection with the levers 5, which takes the form ofa gauge screw 6 threaded in an end of the lever 5 in position to contactthe bracket 8 which mounts this lever. A lock nut 60 will hold thisgauge screw in any given adjusted position. Once the proper adjustmentfor a given size and quality of wire is accomplished, the gauge screw 6is adjusted to touch the bracket 8 and is locked in this position. Nowwhen a given batch of wire has been run through, it is necessary tothread the next batch or coil through the machine, and to this end it isnecessary to back off the lever-mounted rollers i and In from theirpaired rolfers 2 and 20. In other words, the delicate adjustment of themachine is interfered with. However, once the new strand is threadedthrough it, assuming the new strand to be of the same size and qualityas was previously operated upon, it is desirable to bring parts back toprecisely the same position of adjustment. This is done by so adjustingthe lever 5 that the gauge finger 6 again contacts the bracket 8,whereupon it is safe to assume that the adjustment of the parts issubstantially the same as before.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, it may be assumed in Figure 8 that thestrand is being uncoiled from a coil which is disposed with its axisvertical and its general plane horizontal. Such a coil is shown at R inFigure 8, and it will be noted that the topmost coil tends to separateaxially from the remainder of the coil. In other words, this coil has ahelical set. Since, as a matter of choice, it is preferred to deal firstwith this helical set, the first bank A is disposed in such manner thatthe plane common to its several wireguiding rollers is transverse to thegeneral plane of the coil R, that is, the plane of the rollers issubstantially vertical. It parts are not so disposed, they can bequickly shifted to this position by disengaging the screw 85 andreengaging it in one of the holes 92. The strand is threaded beneath theroller 3, over the roller I, under the roller 2, over the roller 20,under the roller l0, and over the roller 30.

In the second bank, by choice, the coil set is neutralized, and hencethe plane common to its several wire-guiding rollers should be parallelto the general plane of the coil R, consequently the bracket 8 in thebankB is set horizontally, and again the strand is threaded in themanner already described through the several rollers of this secondbank.

Issuing from the second bank, the strand is threaded over the rollers 45and 46 of the third bank, under the wire-bending roller 4 of this thirdbank, and then over the rollers 46 and 45, whence it is discharged fromthe wire-straightening machine.

Now preliminarily to any straightening operation the lever 5 of the bankA is adjusted to bring its rollers I and Ill into such position thatthey project substantially equally, but from opposite sides, across thepath of the strand, and this projection is by but a slight amount.

The rollers 2 and are now adjusted, each with respect to its pairedroller l and ill, so that the paired rollers grip the wire as it passesbetween them, and provide approximately equal counterbending at each ofthese two pairs of rollers. The rollers Ii and 30, which are appreciablymore deeply grooved, serve primarily as guides and do not participate inthe bending function.

The lever 5 of the bank B is adjusted, meanwhile, to shift its fulcrumpoint in such manner that one or the other of the lever mounted rollersl or in projects to an appreciable distance across the path of thestrand, more than does the other such roller. In the drawings it is theroller l which thus projects farther than the roller Ill. Indeed, theroller in may project but slightly, if at all, across the path of thestrand. The roller i, then, becomes the primary bending roller tocounterbend the strand in the direction opposite its coil set. Normallythe counterbend i suflicient to bend the strand somewhat past a straightcondition, and in such, case the roller H] with its companion roller 20is so adjusted as to bend back the strand slightly in the direction ofthe original coil stat, and to leave the strand approximately Ifstraight. It is not outside the scope of the invention, however, toaccomplish such bending solely and entirely by means of the rollers iand 2, so that the wire is left substantially straight as it passestherefrom, in which case the rollers l0 and 2|] would be so adjusted asto have no appreciable bending function, and would serve merely assupplemental guides.

With banks A and B adjusted approximately correctly, a test run is made.Through the bank A, however, slightly the wire may be bent andcounterbent, it is therein stressed far more than any stressing whichgave it its helical set, so much so, in fact, that the helical setbecomes negligible and is overcome and canceled out by the bending andcounterbending at the rolls l and 2, Ill and 20, respectively.Henceforward the helical set can be disregarded. Now the strand passesinto the bank B and the coil set is taken out of it, either by preciselyequivalent counterbending at the rollers I and 2 or by a somewhatexcessive counterbending at these rollers followed by reverse bending atthe rollers Ill and 2D. The aim is to complete the straightening of thewire by the time it emerges from the bank B. However, it will ordinarilybe found that the wire is not precisely straight as it emerges from thebank B. Rather than attempt, by delicate adjustment of the parts inbanks A and B, to correct for this small amount of error, it ispreferable to correct for it in the bank C by rotating the bracket 8 ofthis bank into such position about the strand as an axis that therelatively mild bending which it is given in this bank C by the roller 4is just exactly suflicient in amount and in direction to cancel out andremove the residual curvature. By rotation of the bracket 8 in the bankC, the direction or plane of the final straightening can be regulated,and by adjustment of the transverse position of the roller 4 by means ofthe adjusting screw 4|, the amount of such bending can be determined. Itmay be seen in Figure 8, which was chosen as the first example, how theplane of the rollers in bank C is nearly parallel to the plane of therollers in bank B, yet is somewhat rotated with respect to the plane ofthe rollers in each of the banks A and B.

If the coil S is placed with its axis horizontal and the general planeof the coil vertical, then the brackets 8 of the banks A and B shouldordi narily be rotated through or their rollers could be so adjustedthat the coil set is dealt with in the bank A and the helical set in thebank B. Figure 9 shows the parts in the same position of adjustmentwithin each bank as in Figure 8, but with the brackets in the banks Aand B each rotated through 90 to deal with a coil, the axis of which isat 90 to the axis of the coil R in Figure 8. Here the bank C is more orless in parallelism with the bank B.

It is desired to repeat for emphasis that the bending is accomplished,as may be seen best by reference to Figure 3, by deflecting the wiremore or less abruptly and forceably about a roller such as I, byconfining the effect of the paired roller 2 holding the wire to andabout the roll l There is also some bending as the wire straightens outin passing from the roll 2. These two paired rolls, as may be seen bestin Figure 4, do not contact one another, and because such contact isundesirable, it may be necessary, as has already been indicated, tochange the rollers from time to time as wire strands of diilerentdiameter or gauge are to be straightened. In each bank, then, the wireis given some bending about one of the rolls l and perhaps as muchreverse bending, or a different degree of reverse bending, about the:rolls 20 and ill, but all the bending is accomplished as it passesbetween these two pairs of rolls. The degree of bending is nicelyadjustable by regulating the adjustment of the fulcrum 50 and thelongitudinal adjustment of the rollers 2 and 20. Because the bending isnot repeated but is concentrated at a few points, the annealing effectupon the wire is a minimum, and consequently it lose a minimum instrength by the straightening operation, or, in the case of soft wire,the working and toughening efl'ect is a minimum. The strand is heldagainst rotation about its own :axis while the straightening is beingaccomplished by reason of the gripping and relatively abrupt bendingabout the rollers l and 2, l0 and 20 of the banks A and B. Because thereis a minimum of weakening of the wire, such a method and such mechanismare well adapted to the straightening of hard wire, such as wire ofhigh-carbon steel, where minimum loss of strength is highly desirable,yet it is equally well adapted to the straightening of low-carbon steelwire, which is softer, since such wire tends to retain any correctiveset given to it without repeated bending back and forth. Moreover, theentire straightener becomes much more open and accessible than previousstraighteners, and it is much simpler to thread thestrand through it.The device and method are as well adapted to wires of small diameter asto wires of large diameter, by proper choice of roller sizes and groovedepths.

Because softer wires sometimes have a tendency to kink as they are beingdrawn into and through the machine, I have found it desirable at timesto provide a lead-in funnel I with a restricted throat leading to abushing 1| by which the wire is delivered in alignment with the firstguide roller 30. The funnel 1 tends to iron out any kinks or abrupttwists or bends in the wire and to prevent the wire from jumping oil theguide rollers in the bank A.

The adjustment of the position of the fulcrum 50 is only one means ofaccomplishing differential positioning as between the two lever-mountedrollers. The same effect can be accomplished by adjusting one Or bothsuch rollers directly with respect to its mounting lever 5, and such anarrangement is shown in Figures 6 and 7. In this instance it is theroller in which is mounted in a sliding block or carriage ll guided at59 in the lever 5, and adjustable by means of the adjusting screw 12swiveled in the block or carriage II. A set screw I3 additionally holdsparts in any given adjusted position. The roller 1 might be similarlyadjustable, but it is believed that the manner of its adjustment wouldbe obvious if such adjustment were deemed desirable, and it is notbelieved to be necessary that more than one such roller be adjustable.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wire straightener, a bracket disposed lengthwise of the path ofa strand which is being straightened, a lever fulcrumed between its endsupon said bracket, and crossing such path, a roller upon each end ofsaid lever disposed to contact and deflect the strand, each oppositelyto the other, a roller paired with each of said lever-mounted rollers,disposed at the opposite side of the strand from and in the nearvicinity of its paired roller, and mounted upon said bracket to disposeits periphery in the vicinity of the strands path, means to rock saidlever,

thereby to vary simultaneously and correspond ingly the extent ofprojection of the two levermounted rollers across the path of thestrand, and means to adjust the fulcrum of the lever transversely of thestrands path, to vary the relative projection of the respectivelevermounted rollers, at each position of adjustment of the lever aboutits fulcrum.

2. In a wire straightener as in claim 1, means to adjust one suchlever-mounted roller relative to the lever and transversely of thestrand, to

vary the relative projection of the respective lever-mounted rollers ateach position of adjustment of the lever about its fulcrum.

3. In a wire straightener as in claim 1, means to adjust the position ofeach bracket-mounted roller lengthwise of the strands path and relativeto its paired lever-mounted roller.

4. A wire straightener as in claim 1, including also means mounting saidbracket for adjustment angularly about the path of the strand into aplurality of adjusted positions.

5. In a wire straightener as in claim I, adjustable feeler meansengageable between the lever and the bracket to determine the adjustedposition of the lever about its fulcrum, and serving as a gauge toreestablish such position of adjustment after departure therefrom.

6. A wire straightener as in claim 1, including further a duplicatebracket, lever, rollers, and lever adjusting means, said second bracketbeing aligned with the first bracket, means to adjust said secondbracket independently of the first, to dispose the second set of rollersin a plane disposed angularly relative to the plane of the first set,and means independent of the adjustment of the fulcrum of the firstlever, to adjust the fulcrum of said duplicate lever, in the plane ofits rollers and transversely of the strands REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Krummel Jan. 30, 1900 Smith Feb. 29,1916 Almut Sept. 21, 1920 Nilson May 2, 1922 Kilmer May 21, 1929Matteson Mar. 18, 1930 Siddall Feb. 24, 1931 Wolf June 7, 1932 PierceJan. 17, 1933 Hanna July 6, 1943 Dudos May 30, 1944 Illmer Feb. 13, 1945Number

